Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2006-07: This was Nazem Kadri's rookie season with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). In 62 games, the center recorded 22 points (7g+15a), adding another two assists in nine playoff games.

2007-08: Kadri improved on his numbers from last season, netting 25 goals and another 40 assists in 68 games with Kitchener. He excelled in the postseason as well, recording 26 points (9g+17a) in 20 playoff games.

2008-09: Kadri was traded to the London Knights, netting 25 goals and 78 points in 56 games for that club. He put up another 21 points (9g+12a) in 14 playoff games. Scored a goal for the West at the OHL All-Star Classic. Appeared in the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game. Once projected as a sure-fire top-10 selection, Kadri's draft status dropped significantly during the regular season, but began to climb back with a strong playoff performance.

2009-10: After a great training camp and pre-season with the Leafs, Kadri was returned to the OHL with a mandate: “get stronger and dominate the OHL.” In 56 games with the Knights, Kadri would score 35 goals and add 58 assists, playing on a relatively average team. He would also appear in a game with the Leafs as an emergency call up. In the OHL Playoffs, Kadri would take his game to a whole new level scoring 9 goals and 18 assists in 12 games.

2010-11: Kadri was called up twice by the Leafs – appearing in 29 games as a 20-year-old in his first pro season. After opening the season with the AHL Marlies, he played his first game with the Leafs in November and saw over 18 minutes of ice time in five of his first six games. His ice time diminished and he was sent back to the Marlies at the end of December but returned to the big club in March to finish the season. For the year, he scored 3 goals with 9 assists and was -3 with 8 PMs. Kadri was the Marlies' second-leading scorer despite appearing in just 44 games. He had 17 goals with 24 assists and was +2 with 62 PMs as the Marlies finished fifth in their division and missed the AHL playoffs.

2011-12: Kadri opened the season with the Leafs, appearing in three games before being returned to the AHL's Marlies, and appeared in a total of 21 NHL games in four separate call-ups in his second pro season. He had 5 goals with 2 assists and was plus-two with 8 penalty minutes while averaging 14 minutes of ice time during his time with the Leafs. Kadri was one of the top offensive threats for the Marlies – scoring 18 goals with 22 assists in 48 games and finishing plus-2 with 39 penalty minutes. Toronto reached the AHL finals after finishing first in the North Division. Kadri played in 11 of 17 playoff games and was plus-six with 3 goals and 7 assists.

Talent Analysis

Kadri is a highly skilled forward who can make plays at a whim in the offensive zone. He’s fearless on the ice which compensates for his small frame. While there are questions surrounding his game-to-game compete level and some of his decision making, his positives outweigh those negatives.

Future

Kadri began the 2012-13 season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies but is expected to secure a spot on the Leafs roster once the NHL lockout is settled.

Photo: Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, forward Nazem Kadri has developed into a solid top-six forward in the NHL. (courtesy of Nick Turchiaro/Icon SMI)

Brian Burke's first draft as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs featured a variety of picks intended to help implement his somewhat idiosyncratic vision for a franchise in dire need of direction. The Maple Leafs finished the 2008-09 season with 34 wins and 81 points, and had missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

Photo: Former NHL forward Gary Roberts (left) coaches ECHL forward Michael Neal (right). The Gary Roberts High Performance Centre in North York, Ontario has become an increasingly popular destination for hockey players in the off-season (courtesy of David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Following his first season as a pro hockey player, Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Reid McNeill came into the 2013 off-season with the goal of putting himself in as good of a position to succeed as humanly possible. So he took an off-season training route that is increasingly popular among NHL players, namely training with former NHL forward Gary Roberts.

Photo: Forward Joe Colborne is one of several Toronto Maple Leafs prospects who has NHL experience. (Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

The Toronto Maple Leafs' cupboard is no longer bare, though it is certainly lacking high caliber offensive forwards. In previous years, the Leafs have been known to make rash signings and trades, paying little to no attention to the quality and continuity of their pipeline. They renewed their focus on drafting and development several ago and are only now slowly beginning to reap the benefits.

Photo: After playing the past three seasons in Finland, defenseman Sami Vatanen made his way to North America and currently plays for the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Below is the middle section Hockey’s Future’s NHL Team Rankings. The teams are ranked in terms of the quality of their overall prospect pool as voted on by the staff of Hockey's Future. For reference, just the top five prospects are listed. To be eligible, a prospect must meet HF's prospect criteria. The rankings are done twice a year, with the second scheduled to be published in the Spring.

Photo: Toronto Marlies forward and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nazem Kadri broke out of an early season scoring slump to register eight poins in four games this past week (courtesy of Brad White/Getty Images)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Toronto Marlies center Nazem Kadri has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 18, 2012.